Witnesses: Pickup truck hit guardrail and rolled on I-80

State police are investigating to determine how Laura Masonheimer,43, of Kunkletown lost control of her pickup truck and crashed on Interstate 80 West in Stroudsburg Friday morning.

ANDREW SCOTT

STROUDSBURG — Laura Masonheimer, 43, of Kunkletown was flown to the hospital Friday morning after her pickup truck veered into a guardrail and rolled over several times, ejecting her on Interstate 80 West just east of Broad Street, state police said.

No one else was injured in the 8:51 a.m. accident.

"The truck was just coasting along and then it started going at a 45-degree angle," said Janet Ramos of East Stroudsburg, the closest motorist behind Masonheimer at the time. "Then, it just started to flip and she flew out the window. She landed and lay straight down on the ground. I called 911 immediately."

The truck came to rest on the driver's side, blocking both westbound lanes, with its front facing the concrete divider.

Mukta Abichandani of New Jersey, the next nearest westbound motorist, was on her way to work at an area Comfort Inn when she saw the truck "go right, then left."

"I wondered what was happening with (the victim)," Abichandani said. "I started slowing down. Then, the truck hit the guardrail and just turned over. She had absolutely no control."

Motorist Leonard Dempsey of East Stroudsburg, who was behind Abichandani, said, "She must have fallen asleep and wasn't wearing her seat belt. She's very lucky to be alive."

The accident had west- and eastbound lanes backed up for miles, since a police vehicle was parked in the eastbound passing lane by the accident scene to keep onlookers moving.

With westbound traffic stalled, motorists got out of their vehicles to look up ahead or walk closer to the scene to get a better view as police interviewed witnesses.

Stroudsburg firefighters, Stroud Area Regional Police and Monroe County sheriff's deputies also were on scene as Suburban Ambulance paramedics removed Masonheimer. Paramedics transported her to the helicopter landing site to be flown to the hospital.

Masonheimer suffered moderate injuries, police said, adding that the victim was not wearing a seat belt as was ejected from the rear window of the pickup as the truck rolled.